Highlanders 2025

[SouthernMann]

@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:

• Manson in on a One year Deal
• The new lock is a Polynesian from Japan
• Dylan Pledger is in for Nathan Hastie

Is Hastie just being paid out?

[Bovidae]

@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:

• The new lock is a Polynesian from Japan

That narrows down the choices!!

I assume not a current Japanese player?

[African Monkey]

@Bovidae said in Highlanders 2025:

@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:

• The new lock is a Polynesian from Japan

That narrows down the choices!!

I assume not a current Japanese player?

Uwe Helu?

[frugby]

@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:

@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:

• Manson in on a One year Deal
• The new lock is a Polynesian from Japan
• Dylan Pledger is in for Nathan Hastie

Is Hastie just being paid out?

I don't know, but I am guessing so. Slight tweak from my source is that he is not 100% that it is Pledger, just know Hastie is gone, and Pledger is signed (so either from next year or 2026)...

I wonder if the Highlanders said your in from 2025 as a sweetner to ensure he signed.

[frugby]

@Bovidae said in Highlanders 2025:

@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:

• The new lock is a Polynesian from Japan

That narrows down the choices!!

I assume not a current Japanese player?

I have literally no idea. I thought my likely a Kiwi of Polynesian/Maori heritage (Jackson Hemopo springs to mind) but nothing other than my thoughts on that.

I guess it narrows it down in the sense it is not Plummer or Shalfoon.

[Higgins]

@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2025:

ok, has anyone heard or know this has been a thing for any other super rugby team in the past?

James Blackwell?

[Bones]

@Higgins do not besmirch captain Blackwell.

[Mr Fish]

@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:

• Manson in on a One year Deal
• The new lock is a Polynesian from Japan
• Dylan Pledger is in for Nathan Hastie

Do we know who is guaranteed bench spots?

[KiwiInLondon]

@upthelanders I am convinced you’re his mother.

[Kiwidom]

@frugby Possibly Lui Naeata, but he's more of a blindside

[upthelanders]

Can confirm Lui Naeata has signed with the Landers.

[upthelanders]

Not sure about that promised bench spot though

[Bovidae]

1.93 m lock. The Tongan Blackwell?

[Canes4life]

@Kiwidom said in Highlanders 2025:

@frugby Possibly Lui Naeata, but he's more of a blindside

So Hugo Plummer released? I wonder if he’s coming home to play for the Canes. Had a very good NPC.

[frugby]

Lui Naeta was the obvious one, but would be mental if true, that we are only carrying three locks, one of whom is just an average sized blindside.

Joseph is happy enough that we can call someone in, but in the event Holland was injured I assumed we would want another tall lock in the squad.

[Steven Harris]

I know he’s not Polynesian but I did see an article somewhere about NZ born Japanese lock Warner Dearns wanting to play super rugby moving forward
Now that would be a couple massive 6’8 lineout targets if Dearns & Holland were on the field at the same time .

[Bovidae]

It's not a selection for the future either as Naeata is 30.

[nostrildamus]

@Steven-Harris said in Highlanders 2025:

I know he’s not Polynesian but I did see an article somewhere about NZ born Japanese lock Warner Dearns wanting to play super rugby moving forward
Now that would be a couple massive 6’8 lineout targets if Dearns & Holland were on the field at the same time .

Dearns is a good player, shame the ABs can't have him.

[Landers92]

@upthelanders said in Highlanders 2025:

Can confirm Lui Naeata has signed with the Landers.

This would go down as an all time flop. Jamie Joseph had him around a Japanese camp but didn’t select him because he just couldn’t get the laziness out of his game and to top it off had some off field issues.

When he arrived for Otago he barely lit it up for them too… hope this signing isn’t true, would be a backwards step. Would much rather Hugo Plummer.

[SouthernMann]

So we only have two locks..